AFLM Round 2 – West Coast v St Kilda: Missed by thaaaat much

I wonder if my boys at St Kilda hate playing at Domain Stadium as much as I dread these games?

Sitting down to watch with pal Rina, we were surprised as Saints attacked from the first moments, through young Jade Gresham giving us the start we needed and then Bruce scragging a goal from a stoppage. It’s all St Kilda with points to Billings and Geary. The expected counter attack is on through Chris Masten showing it was too easy to score against us, and Josh Hill. Sigh. They’re back. My experience of West Coast Eagles is happening all over again.

But no, be quiet my heart. Luke Dunstan (point), Blake Acres (point), before Acres has another crack and goals. Dunstan shows he CAN goal. Lonie misses. That’s 7 misses so far and it is to become one of the stories of the night.

West Coast miss a few two, before Matt Priddis and Jack Darling settle their mob down again. Paddy McCartin gives a perfect goal just on the siren. Saints are 2 goals 7 points ahead.

OK, we say to ourselves. This is better than expected. We are not being flogged. We are attacking. The fast game continues second quarter – equal opportunity behinds to both before Mark La Gras goals. Kennedy misses from a free while McCartin goals for the Saints. Another point to Greshem. Luke Shuey – goal from a St Kilda interchange mistake. Leigh Montagna goals from a freak play, spoiling a defensive kick and running into goal. Magnificent. Mav Weller snaps from a pile of players in front of goal. Nathan Vardy gets his first game for his new WC team, and Hill scores to leave Saints in front by 9 points at half time.

They are coming. Those talons are out.

Trouble is imminent and its goal for goal. Jack Darling, Weller, Josh Kennedy, Josh Bruce. Man, those behinds are killing us. Those frees that keep coming for WC are killing us too. Jack Lonie matched by Jonathan Giles. Jamie Cripps before Lonie goals again. Shuey finishes up the quarter and Saints have kicked 17 behinds. We cannot win games with 17 behinds. Saints are 6 points up at the last change.

Membrey starts the quarter with the Saints last goal of the match. Kennedy from a perfect Sam Mitchell pass. Kennedy again, Josh Hill, Kennedy and Masten. They blew us away in the last quarter and the Saints once again leave the field in the West worse for wear. Jack Steven has a punctured lung and stays in hospital most of the week.

It was tough to watch (and I bet to play) through that last quarter. The Saints have improved, they almost did it, but ‘almost’ doesn’t get you the 4 points. I find it interesting that my Hawthorn supporting (Premiership three-peat) extra ‘son’ uses phrases like unacceptable and not good enough. A winning mentality is needed for the Saints, and for us fans too. Let’s go Saints, we are better than the first two results this season.

It was a win to hang out and watch a pretty good game with Rina. Let the good stuff continue and let us win by thaaaaat much next week.

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Comments

Gee the Saints were stiff Yvette. I still think they can make the 8 but they will need luck.

I can’t agree with you on the AFLM thing. In fact I don’t agree with AFLW either. Why can’t we just call it “Footy” and credit the reader enough intelligence to figure out which one they are reading about?

AFLM and AFLW is inherently divisive. It creates an “us” and “them” mentality. Surely we’ve got enough division in the world without creating anymore?

What’s in a name? I can’t tell you how meaningful having the AFLW has been. It’s the first time the word women has been used after the footy business logo. As such, the new league for women has come to be part of the AFL. It’s never been ‘all together’, it’s not meant to be all together. They are separate (and the women want to be equal) under the AFL banner. Until we all associate the AFL as being both men and women, and I don’t hear, AFL is back (meaning the men are back), I will keep defining it this way.

Given a couple of years, and a change in the way we think about footy being for all equally, we can drop the M’s and W’s. While we have the “W”, I like to play with the “M”.

And Dips, I don’t think we’re creating a division with the naming. Divisions are human constructs. We use it in everything. It starts with our cells between our parents. Things come together, then they divide. It’s can be a great thing, if its recognized.

Your expression saying ” At least we aren’t going to get flogged again” sounded familiar. As Bulldog supporters, that was our fall-back saying if we were at least close early in the match, particularly over in the West.
It was only after that first final last year against the Eagles that we realized we don’t have to think that way again. When the Saints have that next break-through win in Perth, they will get rid of the huge monkey and there will be no stopping them.

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